Door check and holding device



y 22, 1952 E. ALLEN DOOR CHECK AND HOLDING DEVICE Filed April 15, V 1948INVENTOR. faw/kv A. ALLEN A TTO/P/VEKf Patented July 22, 1952 DOOR.CHECK AND HOLDING DEVICE Edwin L. Allen, Cleveland Heights, Ohio,assignor to Rudolph I. Schonitzer, Cleveland, Ohio 7 Application April13, 1948," Serial No. 20, 680

This invention relates to a combination check and holding device forretaining in a predetermined position with respect to: each other twocooperating members such as an automobile door andits frame and moreparticularly to a device for checking the movement of a door or the likein one direction and then retaining the door in the checked position.

The subject matter of this invention is particularly adapted for use inconjunction with doors and door frames of automobiles and the like inwhich the door is hinged on an axis that is approximately vertical andis swung between opened and closed positions about that axis. The

doors ofautomobiles now built frequently are hingeably mounted oninclined body posts or pillars in such manner'that they have a naturaltendencyto swing to a closed position and this tendency has resulted inserious personal injury, creating a requirement for means for releasablyholding such doors in open'position whenever they are moved thereto. Thepresent checking and holding device functions resiliently to limit theamount which the door may open andthereafter to retain the door in thatposition until it is pushed manually to another position. Morespecifically the invention relates to the combination of a link member,one or more spring arm camming elements carried thereby and the elementsby'which' the link and cam members are secured together inoperativerelation; and as such represents an improvement over the devicedisclosed in Patent No. 2,237,046, issued April 1, 1941 to A. H.Breitenwischer and now assigned to my assignee.

A general object of the present invention is to provide an improved doorchecking or door checking and'holding mechanism. Another object is toprovide a door check including a link with a resilient bumper thereon tolimit the extent to which the door may be 7 opened, spring latchmechanism to hold the door open and novel supporting elements to holdthe parts together as a unitary assembly and reinforce them in operativeposition. Still another object is to provide a combination check andholding device including a link carried by either the door or frame withsprin arms on opposite faces thereof adapted releasably to engageholding elements carried by the complementary frame or door as the casemay be, a resilient bumper orcushion to limit the relative motion of thedoor and frame, a reinforcing 1 Claim. (01. 16-.1-86) Other objects ofthe invention will become apparent from the following specification andfrom the drawing; the novel features of the invention being set forth inthe accompanying claim.

Referring now to the drawing: Figure 1 is a horizontal section throughaportionof a door member and door pillar or post member of .anautomobile body showing in solid lines the door in closed position andin dot and dash lines the position of the door and door check mechanismin open, position; Figure 2 is a section as indicated by the line 22 onFigure 1 Figure 3 is an end elevation as indicated by line 3--3 onFigure 1 showing the elements carried by the unsupported end of themechanism; Figure 4 is afragmentary view similar to Figure 1 showing amodified form of checking and holding mechanism; Figure 5 is a sectionthrough Figure 4 as indicated by the line 5-5 thereon; and, Figure-6 isan end elevationof the mechanism shown in Figure 4.

' As indicated above; the drawing illustrates two forms of theinvention, both of which have certain common characteristics. Each formincludes a link member of a doorcheck and holding mechanism togetherwith at least one spring arm held against a broad face of the link. Adeformable cushion surrounds the link and spring arm and operates tocushion relative motion of the door and frame in one direction; and issupported by a plate or disc that likewise surrounds the link and springarm. A fastening deviceholds the link and spring arm together andprovides an abutment against which the-plate may bear when a shock orother load applied to the cushion is transmitted to it. Each form of theinvention embodies improvements over the Breitenwischer patent describedabovein that each provides a construction whose components are somewhatsimpler to fabricate and-require less material, both of which areimportant factors where the device is used in very large quantities asin the construction of automobiles, where at least two and frequentlyfour check and holding devices are provided on eachlvehicle.

Referring now to the drawing and particularly to Figure 1, the generallyhollow left front door of an automobile is indicated at [0 and ishingedlymounted at l2 to swing about a rearwardly inclined and generallyhollow front post or-pillar l4 that is rigid with the automobile frame.The inclination of the body posts or pillars causes the doorto tend toswing to a closed position so the door. shown in Figure 1 in dot anddash lines tends to swing to the closed position shown in solid linesand this can result in serious personal injury, particularly if suchmovement of the door is unexpected. The other doors of the car normallyare mounted on similarly inclined pillars and hence are subject to thesame tendency to close unexpectedly. The door is checked in its openingmotion by a resilient shock absorbing cushion or bumper that to a degreecooperates with the spring arm mechanism thereafter to hold the door jin thei o'pen position. While the particular uses of the door check andholding mechanism described herein are directed toward automobiles, andmore particularly to those with in- 2,603,820 If I arm and the link asshown.

clined pillars, it will be evident thatthe-invention may be used inother circumstances. The con-' structions described herein represent twopreferred forms of the invention and customary method of use but thescope of the invention is limited solely by the appended claim. In theforms of the invention illustrated herein the checking and holdingmechanism is shown as principally. contained within the hollow door witha link pivotallyJsecured tov thedoor post but it will be evident thatthe installation may be reversed so the mechanism is largely containedwithin the hollow vehicle body post or pillar and the link secured to.the door.

The present device includes a relatively flat straight stamped steel armor link having its front endpivotally or otherwise suitably connected toan intermediate portion of the door post 14 asbyqabracketv 16 secured tothe post and pivotally connected with the link by a pin ll mounted on anaxis substantially parallel with the hinge axis [2. The arm l5 lieswithin the generallyhollowdoor, passing through an opening 19 in thefront edge Wall 20 thereof and through a thickervertical: reinforcingpartition or rib 2| secured as shown to the-edge In order to absorb theshock incident to stopping the motion of the door when it reaches theopencpositionla cushion 4] is mounted on the link as shown in Figure 2.This cushion is in the form of a resilient pad made of rubber, neopreneor'other resilient material; preferably inthe form of a relatively thickdisc with a cenmember Miami the .interior panel member zd of the door.The opening in the edge member 25 is of sufficient sizeto receive mostof the bracket 15 and the pin I! when the door is in the closed positionshown in Figure 1. The opening in the vertical partition 2| is indicatedat 25 and is in the form of a slot through which the flat link 15 maypass freely. as hereafter described, the slot being of sufiicientvertical width to permit spring arms mounted on .thelink to passthroughthe slot when the door is opened or closed. From this descriptionit;will be evident, as stated above, thattherelativelocation of thebracket l6 and link 15 may; be reversed so the bracket is secured vtothe door andthelink slides into position within the. ,door post.

When the .door is in the closed position the check and holding mechanismis in inoperative but .when the door is opened the mechanism functions.first to check the door as it reaches its fully open position andthereafter to'hold the door in the opened position until such time assufiicienti forceis, exerted upon it to release the holding mechanismand thereafter push the door to alclosed position.

The components that cooperate with link l5 to make up thecompletechecking and holding mechanismasj illustrated in Figures 2 and 3include. two stiff spring, arms 30 formed of spring steel and'secured incooperating relation with the link 15 and on opposite sides thereof.While it is preferredthat two such spring members be provided it will beevident that, if desired, one only may, be used-without departing fromthe present invention. Each spring arm includes a relatively flatportion, 33 adapted to:1ie.- against: the link 15. anda centralraisedtral opening to accommodate the link and spring arms. The pad functionsas a bumper to cushion a too rapid or forceful openingof the door andalso cooperates with the spring'arms to limit the amount they may flexoutwardly when the door is either opened or closed. When the door isopened, the full amount of the unabsorbed load transmitted by thecushion is taken by a supporting plate or disc 42. This disc is formedto have an area and shape conforming to the adjacentcontacting face ofthe pad and is provided with a central opening permitting it to bemounted in position as shown. The disc is interposed between the pad andrivet so that force transmitted to it by the pad is in turn transmittedto the link throughthehead 43 and peened over portion 44 of the rivet4t.

The rmech anism just described engages with cooperating structure-carriedby the vertical reinforcing member or partition 2i of the door.This structure is inthe form of a boxlike frame 56 riveted or otherwisesecured at 5| to the inner face of the partition 2] in position tooverlie the-opening 25. Two spaced steel bearing parts orarms 53 aresupported in the box in such position that they extend across theopening 25 on each side ofthe link I5 closely adjacent the fiat facesthereof. W k 'When the dooris swungfrom closed to open position thevarious parts move'relative to each other from the solid to the dottedline position of Figure 1 during which movement the lips 38 ofthespringarrns30, engage the elements 53 and by them-are cammed awa'y fromthe link I5 as the opening motion'of the door continues. As the doorapproaches its final position the portions 31 of the spring arms snapover elements53locking theminthe pockets formed by the outwardlybowedportion's, as shown in dot and dash im'es'in Figure 1 therebylocking the door in open position.

The force due to the opening motion of the door is absorbed' asthe doorattains the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 1 by the cushion 4isupported by the disc 42. The resilience of the cushionthereafter-causes it to exert some inward force on the spring armssothey more tightly hold the elements 53 in, the pockets and thus assistsin'holding the door check mechanism inposition; The spring'arms 3|] arevery stiff to insure an adequate grip on the elements 53'although onv.theiother hand the width of the door is such that a; relatively smallforce at the edge of; the door multiplied by the moment arm representedby this width enables the door to be closed easily. 7 v

When the door is pushed to a closed position the portion 31 of eachspring arm acts as a cam surface again to move the adjacent portion awayfrom the link I and permit the elements 53 to be withdrawn from beneaththe spring arms as the door leaves the dotted line position of Figure 1to attain the closed position shown in solid lines in that figure.

A modified form of the invention is illustrated in Figures 4, 5 and 6and difiers from the construction described chiefly in the manner inwhich the spring arms are made and secured to the link I5. In thismodified form the various components including the link l5, boxlikeframe 50 and the hinged connection of the link at I! may all beidentical with that described in connection with Figures 1, 2 and 3. Inlike manner the resilient pad or cushion 4| may be of a shape andsupported by a disc 42 in all respects as heretofore described.

The two arms 30 shown in Figure 2 are duplicated in Figure 5 but aremade up of a single spring member 58 of hairpin like configuration.

This member includes two spring arms each having lips 38 and portions 34and 31 to provide pockets in which the bearing parts 53 may be seated,all as described above. On the other hand these spring arms are joinedby an integral piece of material 52 so a single piece of stock providesboth spring arm members and by the nature of the construction rigidlysecures them in position with respect to each other.

The fact that the two spring arms are made in one piece permits use of asomewhat different method of fastening them to the link l5 than isprovided by the rivet 40 as shown in Figure 2. Thus when the spring armsare connected together by the web of material 52 they are held againstlateral shifting with respect to each other by the resilience ofthe-web, especially where the web fits snugly against and is supportedby the square corners of the end of link l5. It is thus not necessary tohold the arms tightly to the link, as by means of a rivet, to preventlateral shifting but it is suflicient merely'to secure the integrallyjoined spring arms to the link inproper relation to the end thereof. Tothis end a cotter pin 55 is passed through two aligned openings in thespring arms and through a corresponding opening in the link I5. The end52 of member 58 encircles the end of the link [5 and is held as tightlyagainst it as possible so rocking of the spring arms in the plane ofFigure 4 is prevented. The legs 51 are spread as shown in Figure 6 andcooperate with the head of the cotter pin to provide a firm support forthe disc 42 as the shock of bringing the door to rest against the pad orcushion 4| is imparted to it.

In operation the form of invention shown in Figures 4, 5 and 6 operatesprecisely as described in connection with Figures 1, 2 and 3 and whenthe door is moved from the closed to the opened position the lips 38 ofthe spring arms cam over the bearing parts 53 to seat them in theaforementioned pockets between the link and spring arms. Similarly whenthe door is closed the spring arms are cammed apart by the surfaces 37and the door is released to be pushed into the closed position shown inFigure 1.

From the foregoing description it will be evident that I have provided anew and improved form of door check and holding device that possessesthe advantage of simplicity of design and of assembly together with asturdy construction adapted to the conditions incurred by use inautomotive vehicles and the like.

I claim:

A .door check and holding device for limiting opening movement of a doormember with respect to a supporting frame member and holding said doormember in open position comprising, a link adapted to be pivotallyconnected at one end to one of said members, a pair of independentseparate spring arms disposed at the other end of said link and onopposite sides thereof, each of said spring arms being shaped to providea pocket between the arm and said link adapted to receive keeperelements supported on the other of said members, a resilient cushionelement encircling said link and said independent arms intermediate theends of said arms, a plate member encircling said link and said arms andadapted to engage and restrain said cushion element against movementtoward said other end of said link, and a fastening element extendingthrough said spring arms and said link member and having enlargedportions at its opposite ends, said enlarged portions directly engagingsaid spring arms and directly abutting said plate whereby said springarms are retained against movement relative to said link and said plateis restrained against movement along said link toward said other endthereof.

EDWIN L.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,232,498 Travis Feb. 18, 19412,237,046 Breitenwischer Apr. 1, 1941 2,291,412 Schonitzer July'28, 19422,507,389 Travis et al May 9, 1950

